I'm 73 years old and ride 1000 km a month on my road bike but I'm sure that this bike is in my future! Curly bars, mtb tires and a dropper seatpost? Wow!!
The thing about riding a Creo is the fun factor in getting your fitness levels up, you can make it a pain ride or a fun ride depending on you style, then once you're learnt the battery ranges for your ride areas & the improved fitness levels the fun can really begin. Just remember to keep adjusting the bike power levels to suit your fitness levels & ride course. Give me mixed surface riding everytime over big km's road riding, road riding is totally boring when you can get just as good results in less than half of the km's with mixed surface riding and there plenty of range in the battery+ extender battery for that on the Creo. Besides theres definitely nothing quite like blasting away the last 20km's home into a screaming headwind in turbo mode and passing all your riding mates on there non ebikes who have been giving you shite the whole ride about you been on a ebike and actually having a plan to finish the ride in style and your the first one into the cafe without being crippled the next day as well, funny thing about that group that half of them are now riding ebikes. Bring on the next gen Creo!!
My days, I got mine on Friday. I haven't stopped riding it. It is beautiful! I usually mountain bike and never thought of an Ebike or gravel bike. I wanted a bike to adventure and to go into town and get shopping. This is so fun. I beeze around town, hoping about and then I've been stomping along some coastal routes, gravel paths/roads. 70% of the time I've got the battery off. It's great to flick the motor on when you've gone a bit too far and need to get home in good time. Wow!
Yes, I have a 2021 Trek Emonda SL5 and a Creo SL comp carbon. There are days after working 10hr I want to ride but know I don’t have it. Those days I jump on the Creo.
I'd love to be able to load an interval workout onto the bike and then have the bike try to match the resistance needed for the current interval as I bike along my local trails / roads.
Very limited availability in early 2024. Snagged a 54cm Creo Comp 2 months ago and at 600 miles on the road or mild gravel find the total range to be about 80 mile with intermittent use of the battery, ie going from 90-95% to
Creo is 100% the most versatile fun bike, period. Over 2,500 miles on my first gen. From coffee shop visits, or long touring days, to training, or gravel e-friendly trails. This bike is my favorite.
This provides a lot of confidence! I had an allez sprint and i have a bianchi now, but I'm looking at getting a commuter gravel bike and it really seems like this is the way to go!
@@aarondrossart6026 100%. Best there is. I do think the latest model might be overall slack and favor dirt trails. But if plan to gravel mainly/commure and go on dirt it’s solid. The prior gen is best for road/gravel. Could even find a used sworks version for a good price probably.
Is surprising all the negativity that there is still around ebikes (probably from people that has never ridden one). All my riding since I relocate to UK is with conventional bikes (Mtb, gravel, road etc) as the terrain is quite flat in general compared to what I was used to. But I still have my emtb in Spain, and is lovely to be able to ride 2000m elevation in 50km without being completely destroyed. I got onto emtb's because of an injury and they did not only help me to recover and get fit again, but I enjoyed so much the process that I think I will always have an e-bike Not to mention that they are also great commuters or cargo bikes. The Creo2 is a great bike, but I will prefer a Rudy instead of the future shock and prices for Specialized are always high.
I have the Creo turbo comp E5 2021 Yes it’s the entry level being aluminium version but for the money it’s an absolute blast. Yes carbon fibre will save more weight but for the money so great. Its a shame they dropped this version. But things have to improve……
I have a dropper on my diverge (probably the same one) that has that amount of drop and I think it’s pointless. Barely gets out of your way at all and as you say is much less compliant. I think either have a carbon post, suspension post or a longer more useful dropper.
The Creo is an amazing bike but, for a road cyclist, range is key. Mine gets me around 60 miles before it runs out of puff, and the range extender doesn't give the rider much unless he/she can ride at an average of 120 watts or more (less, and the weight of the extender means the rider is using more battery power across the whole ride). Looking forward to a more detailed review.
Check out a bike with a Mahle X20 hub drive. My BMC roadmachine AMP with extender battery can do over 200 km and about 4000m of climbing riding here in Switzerland in the hills and mountains. This is the kind of range that a roadie needs.
@@cadriver2570 I did a review of the bike after c.400 miles and that's on my channel. But, the specific point about what it's like to ride without assist is that it's no fun. My alternative bike is a Specialized Tarmac SL5 which is very light and so makes the Creo feel heavy. It can be ridden, and has gearing that still allows you to climb without power assist, but you'd be mad to take it out and not switch it on. The only circumstances in which I would deliberately ride without assist is if I was doing a ride that is knowingly out of its range and I just needed to keep going, but even then I'd ride the Tarmac instead.
What are you doing to only get 60 miles from the battery? I can get 90-100 if I want to. Use eco when it makes sense and go to sport mode if you need it.
Rode a 50nm levo sl model and i thought it had the same resistance as a shimano motor e8000 past the 15mph, it hasnt got that natural feel what i thought it would have, i cant see how this bike could keep up with a non gravel e bike cycling over a longer.distance, yeah great up hill and if i was riding that exact route id rather be on a full sus e bike, and hey.i am someone who rides a gravel bike
I just test rode the sworks model. Wow just wow! HOWEVER the turbo mode is ridiculous. It doesn't feel natural at all and found myself backing off as I easily got above 29 mph which is overkill in most cities in the USA. I also noticed that it feels like a drive by wire car. Us oldies will understand the feeling of older cars. It might be the combination of the motor's tune and the future shock. Either way , it's an awesome bike and I'm buying one! BTW i'm a 5.3w/kg rider. This will be nice for recovery and commutes.
I own the first gen and it's such a great riding experience. I ride much more since I purchased this bike. I don't understand why people gets so mad about e-bike, they hurt nobody and keep people out riding. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's simply a choice. Price is very steep and the first gen motor is very noisy. This new one looks amazing but for some reason I don't believe it's "the quietest e-bike" out there. If you can afford it, it's worth it every penny in my personal opinion.
David thanks for the fabulous video. My Cteo 2 is arriving at the end of July and I know it will be a game changer for my enjoyment of riding. I'm a young 65 gal used to riding thousands of kms on my road, touring and tandem bikes yearly with my partner . Some minor hip issues have slowed me down the last few years but I know the Creo 2 will help me gain my fitness level back for some fun and enjoyable riding into my older years riding solo or with my partner. He's not ready for this type of bike but will he change his mind in the future? 😊
Love, love, love my Turbo Creo SL Expert, and would love most of these improvements. It seems as though Specialized has done away with the “Road” version and “EVO” version in favor of one more EVO-like version. Is that right?
Just viewed your ride. I’m looking to purchase a Creo 2 Export. Going to ride an earlier version tomorrow. If you tou are riding a Ceo 2, what tires have you installed? Did you change your chain ring to a larger one. They will except up to a 48. Oh, I am out in Colorado. Little different riding here. Thank you , Rick
I have a Creo 1 and I agree its amazing but 3 TCUs in the first 6 months, and I am not 100% sure the latest one is working completely as it should (the little panel on the toptube that bluetooths to your phone and boots the bike up) fortunately all under warranty but any forum will tell you these units fail regularly, outrageous propriatory spare parts costs and everything has to be done at a dealer, its not all good news, sure if you have the money and are prepared for a £1000 bill for a motor when its out of warranty, it is an absoloutely great bike, the range extender is £350, they even charge extra for the connecting cable and dual charging lead, remote buttons extra cost again, nothing from the Creo2 will work on the Creo1 so how long will parts be available ? The App is very clever but the charge limiter feature doesnt work properly, I paid £2200 for my Creo1 which was massively discounted from £4400 when the Creo2 was released, I will keep it while its under warranty and enjoy it, but I have no confidence these bikes have any longevity without huge repair costs. The bike press will obviously encourage people to buy these bikes, it keeps them business and gives them something new to rave about, but buyer beware. I still love the bike, but there is no way I would pay full price for one and I would never buy a used one with no warranty
I would love a high-end multipurpose bike like this, but until the ridicules limits are lifted in the EU, it's very hard to justify the cost. My new bike is likely to be an adventure/gravel bike, but it won't be an ebike for now.
That's really dumb, the limit should be at least 35 km/h, really. No way I'll spend that kind of money for a bike like this, although I like it so much.
@@LifeCycle1978 I dunno. I'm sure some people would try that. I wouldn't want to void the warranty by doing it though. I reckon a good warranty is important on an expensive bike in case of issues with the battery or other onboard tech, so it's not worth it for me. I could just buy a wonky cheap import bike if I just wanted a derestricted ebike, as there are plenty of those about, but I would much prefer a really good bike, like the Creo that David reviewed.
I think the point of the Creo is that it rides like a normal bike, and that the power assist is there to provide modest help when you need it. It's not a pure eBike designed to be a different experience altogether.
Hi @davidarthur, Did Specialized say what they intend to do to fill the electric road bike hole now they have made the Creo only available in gravel form?
This is killing me. The e-bike field is in its infancy, and I’d like to wait until it matures a little, but I’m old now and I don’t know how much longer I will be riding. Soooo… things seem to be moving fast. I suspect another year will bring lower prices, lower weight and better performance. I sure hope I get an e-bike, though.
Would his E-Bike be able to do the Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb in NH. 7.6 miles up, average incline 12 to 18% with the last 500 feet 28%.
Actually I’m seriously considering trading in my SL7 and gravel bike for one of these. My main criteria is distance. I’d want 150-250km range for my all dayers. This gets close, maybe a creo 3 will get there. Very impressive nonetheless
just wondering what consolidation do I get when I dropped 9k on a bike with an anemic motor? Trade in or eat it? Do you honestly think I'm gonna invest again? buh bye. the ride was fine if nothing else existed but that's not the case is it?
I want this bike. I would go buy one tomorrow except for 1 thing. In 4 to 5 years time the battery will be degraded. There will also be bikes with better battery tech (possibly solid state) Will it be possible to get a new battery? If so, will the battery be the latest tech? I don’t think specialized can answer this. The cost of these bikes is very high and I would be willing to pay it but not if the bike is going to be obsolete in 4 to 5 years time.
If you charge the battery to 80% and not leaving battery below 10% when you not riding. Also when you are not riding for a long time and leave the battery around 50%, the battery live time increases with a factor 3 to 5 times. Specialized now allow in the app to limit charging to 80%. It doesn't mean you can't charge it 100% anymore. But only do it for your extended trips. And never leave the battery at 100% for several days/weeks. Just charge it to 100% just before the ride.
Typical i e-mailed and tweeted Specialized if they were going to release the creo2 no answer so bought a trek,so spech’s loss coming from a turbo Levo owner.
@@kevinbleakley5069 Fair enough,I’m upset that I’ve had to buy another brand because they took so long to bring out a new range when they took out the Levo sl months ago.
As usual with Specialized, cheap components on a 6k bike. WTF is SRAM X1 Eagle AXS rear derailleur ?? Some old version? 60 euros NX EAGLE Cassette, 200 euros DT Swiss G540 wheelset.......
Why does this bike cost so much? The price of this bike is not worth it IMO. For example You can buy a motorbike with a lot more development tech, materials, safety features and not to mention the regulatory safety compliance costs. Specialized bikes seem to specialize in being greedy for bike lovers. Laters to that.
I can't help thinking this is a 12 grand plastic moped rather than a bicycle. If you took an 50cc petrol assisted moped out on the trails people would, quite rightly, lose their shit. The only significant difference is noise and smell of 2 stroke.
@@ridefastcoaching you can be pedantic if you want but mopeds don't commonly have pedals. Okay I get you hate e-bikes but loads of people, myself included, love them
That depends on why you give a shit what other people think. This is the bike to turn what might have been a 3 hour ride into a 6/7 hour once, or the one that lets you ride out to the limit of your legs on a particular day and then add enough assist to keep building yourself after that point. Leave the assist off and ride it for watts if you like. It'll do that very happily and still talks to Garmins over ANT+.
So glad to see David do a Road/Gravel E Bike review. My newest is a Trek Domane plus SLR 7. It is a class 3 E-bike- 28mph here in the states. Fabulous bike with 50nm of torque. Folks who have never ridden a performance E-bike are really missing on a great deal of fun, with personal work very much involved.
